Import of bovine meat

India has requested Bangladesh to withdraw supplementary duty on import of frozen boneless bovine meat as the protection measure goes beyond the spirit of SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) agreement.
The measure to protect the domestic meat production is affecting the traders concerned of both countries, it said.
The neighbouring country, which is the biggest import source of such meat for Bangladesh, also sought reinstatement of the previous tariff value for the food item.
Currently, Bangladesh levies a 20 per cent supplementary duty on import of the item, and the tariff value has been increased from US$ 4.0/kg to US$ 5.0/kg in the national budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.
It nullifies the SAFTA benefit available to Indian exporters, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in a recent letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, urging the government to resolve the issue in line with the spirit of SAFTA agreement.
"The foreign ministry forwarded the letter to the authorities concerned to take necessary steps in this regard," said a senior official.
According to the Import Policy-2021-24 of Bangladesh, a prior approval has to be taken from the Department of Livestock for import of meat, including frozen buffalo (bovine) meat, according to an Indian document seen by the FE.
It mentioned that Indian companies are among the largest global exporters of a variety of high-quality, hygienically processed meat that is non-competitive in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in meat production, according to a source, but it spent nearly US$ 2.5 million in the fiscal year 2017-18 to import the item from 14 countries. Some luxury hotels and food chains import the meat, the source added.
The country produced over 8.44 million tonnes of meat in the FY 2020-21 against an annual demand of nearly 7.4 million tonnes, according to the Department of Livestock Services (DLS).